


Just let me adore you

by littlebluetui



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Caring Harry, Catfish - Freeform, Falling In Love, Famous Harry, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Lies, M/M, Morning Sex, Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson, Phone Sex, Shy Louis Tomlinson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebluetui/pseuds/littlebluetui
Summary: Harry and Louis fell in love over the phone, in texts and late night conversations that turned into early morning ones. The only problem is, they haven't ever met. When they finally do, Louis discovers everything Harry has told him is a lie, except for the fact that he is madly in love.-------orHarry catfishes Louis for nearly 2 years and they work through the fall out together
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

Comfortable. That’s the word Louis would use to describe his relationship with Harry. He woke up to good morning messages from Harry, often spoke to him on the phone as he was still under the covers hiding from the cold, pretending that nothing else existed but him and his love. They spoke throughout the whole day, texting whenever either of them got a spare moment and spoke on the phone nearly every single night. 

As much as Harry was comfort, was love and was home for Louis, there was always the looming giant sitting in the corner whenever they spoke. They had never met.  
It all started a year and a half ago, when Louis had received a wrong number text. It should have ended there. They had no reason to keep talking, but they did. Slowly at first and then suddenly all at once, Louis and the stranger called Harry on the other end of the phone had fallen in love. Their texts turned into calls which went on for hours, and slowly ‘I love you’s’ got involved. 

The two had tried to meet up. It was hard though, as Harry traveled a lot for his job. He was a museum curator; he had told Louis. He travels the world looking for artifact and anything beautiful to adjourn the walls and the displays of the Natural History Museum in London. When ever Harry was in Britain, which wasn’t very often, something would come up. Once Harry’s phone had stopped working and they couldn’t communicate. Once Harry’s car battery went flat. Once Harry had even just not shown up, leaving Louis to walk home in tears and throw his carefully picked flowers in the nearest bin. 

Louis wasn’t stupid. Louis knew where all the red flashing lights were pointing. A ‘catfish’ as his friends called it. They had made him sit through an entire season of the reality show just to prove it to him. Louis couldn’t ignore what was right in front of him. Especially not when Harry, a professional working man can’t seem to ever get his hands on a phone or laptop or any damn thing with a camera so they can video call. 1 year, 7 months in and Louis has never seen the mans face. 

That was all going to change tonight. Louis had told Harry it was his final chance. Told him if he didn’t show up this time, he couldn’t keep speaking to him. Louis had sat in his room in his University dorm all morning, just flipping through the few photos Harry had sent him of himself. He had blond hair the had highlights in the way surfers do. He had a nose piercing he had told Louis didn’t hurt as much as you would think. He was gorgeous. He was also, Louis had found out through a reverse google image search a few months back, actually an Australian Instagram model called Alec.

“Do you promise you’ll be there?” Louis whispers into his phone, eyes closed and taking in the subtle sound of Harry breathing. Louis knows tonight might be the end of everything. No matter how much he loves Harry, whoever he is, if that is even his name, he can’t continue on the way things are. He needs the truth and he had told Harry this hundreds of time now. He promises he will get all the answers tonight. 

“I promise. I’ll definitely be there” Harry assures voice equally as low. Louis might have even believed him had he not heard those exact words eight times before.  
“Are you scared?” Louis asks after a few shared silent moments of just listening to each other’s breathing. Both of them know that depending on how the night goes, this could be their last time speaking. 

“Shit scared” Harry admits in a breathy chuckle that makes the edges of Louis’ lips dance a little. 

“Your shit scared? I don’t even know what you look like. How am I even going to know its you?” Louis asks, a little smile on his lips. He might actually get to see Harry tonight. He might even get to touch Harry tonight. 

“You’ll know” Harry says, the confidence in his voice perfectly matched with nervousness. 

Louis hears a woman’s voice in the background before Harry speaks again. 

“I’ve gotta go back to work. I will see you later, yeah? Remember, I’ll meet you at our seats, yeah? Got you those nice front row ones.” Harry says as Louis bites his lip.  
“Okay. I’ll see you then.” Louis only half believes it. 

“See you then. I love you baby, see you later” Harry says, waiting for the ‘I love you too’ reply before ending the call. 

\--

The whole plan was put in place months ago. Louis had been asking Harry about when he would next be in Britain. When he finally said the dates, Louis had smiled and off handily joked that he wouldn’t be available then to meet up then because those dates were when Harry Styles had a concert that he really wanted to go to, and started to tease Harry about him secretly being the Harry Styles. His Harry was Harry Cox, though. Harry had asked if he was a fan, and when Louis replied that of course he was, Harry had suggested that the two meet up at the concert together. He said he liked Harry Styles music too.  
Louis had smiled at the idea but didn’t actually allow himself to have any hope that it would actually happen until a few days later, Harry had emailed him his ticket for a front row seat. 

\--  
Now Louis stood in his dorm in the full-length mirror wondering when all of the clothes that he owned had gotten so ugly. Anxiety had been swirling around him since the moment he woke up, filling his mind with all the worst possibilities. Harry could be literally anyone. Harry could, most likely, not even show up. Louis’ dorm mate, Liam keeps telling him the worst case scenario, he gets to be within a few metres of Harry Styles and watch a concert from the front row. Even in all his anxiousness, Louis has to admit that is a worse case scenario he can live with. 

After catching the tube for an hour, Louis is much less confident with Liam there to assure him. His hands are shaking and the only thing that keep his feet moving forward are the near constant text from Harry. Harry knows Louis’ anxiety. He’s spoken to him through many anxiety attacks and even has transferred Louis money to pay for his therapy sessions to make sure he can keep them up. Harry knows all that which is what keeps his texts flying through, telling Louis about his day at the Museum and how excited he is to see him and about what he’s wearing and anything to keep Louis’ head in the moment and not getting him on the next tube back home. 

When Louis’ finally gets to the venue, he thinks the whole entire rest of London might be here. Theres thousands of people, girls screaming, and lines that seem to go in every direction. 

‘Are you here? x’ Louis sends to Harry with shaking fingers, immediately getting a reply. 

‘Almost. Will meet you at our seats, yeah? It’s freezing out, go inside and wait in the warmth xx’

\--

Louis had spent too much time redressing himself over and over, and get to his seat just as the opening act was finishing up. Hes surprised to see a little ‘reserved’ sign sitting in the middle of his chair. Surely this can’t be for him? After triple checking the seat is actually his, Louis cautiously sits in the chair, immediately texting Harry again. The reply slow. Louis doesn’t breathe for the entire 11 minutes he waits for the reply. This is it, he thinks. This is when Harry bails on him again.  
‘Just coming in, see you in a sec. I love you so much xx’ Harry’s reply comes, just as the arena lights go down. 

Louis is overwhelmed. Thousands of screams fill the arena and his ears, but he can barely even make them out over the sound of his own breathing. He’s vaguely aware of the music the stage behind him as he stands on his tippy toes facing the crowd, trying to make out anyone that looks like they might be coming to take the empty seat still standing next to him. He sees people screaming, people crying, people dancing, but not a single person looking at him. 

He waits, just like he always does with Harry. Waits for him to finish work so he can talk. Waits for him to be ready to tell him the truth. Waits for him to actually show up. Its not until the end of the first song that Louis knows hes not coming. He’s played Louis for a fool, making out like he would ever actually be here. Pretending to actually be moments away. 

Eventually, Louis turns back to face the stage taking in the realisation that the worst case scenario is happening. Harry's not coming. Blinking back his tears and quickly wiping from his cheek the few that he had already escaped, Louis finally looks up at the stage. 

He’s taken a back by the fact the the Harry Styles is standing on the stage, directly in front of him, not even one metre away. He’s even more taken aback by the fact that the Harry Styles eyes lock with this and he’s not looking anywhere else in the entire room. What he’s most taken aback is what he hears.

Bellowing through the speakers of the stadium, Harry’s voice surrounds Louis. 

“Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Harry Styles, thank you for coming to spend your Friday night with me” He says over the screams of thousands before going on the introduce the band.

Harry’s voice comes through the speakers, surrounding Louis in warmth. The exact same way it does on the phone when Louis is cuddled under the covers every morning. 

Harry.

Louis knows Harry sees the exact moment he puts it together. His eyes stay on Louis as he realises he knows that voice. As it all comes crashing down and all the dots are joined in an instant. The Harry is his Harry. 

When Louis’ eyes meet the man on the stage’s eyes again, he can barely see through the tears swelling in his eyes. What he can make out is Harry moving the microphone away from his mouth and mouthing the words ‘Please Stay’ to Louis before the second song starts. 

\--

Louis spends most of the concert sitting. He hears the rude women behind him complaining about ‘why would you get a front row seat and then sit’ but he doesn’t care. He can’t. He can’t even think about anything else but the whole web of lies Harry has constructed around himself to hide behind. 

Louis had prepared himself for the fact there was almost no chance the man in the pictures was going to be the person he had been talking to. What he wasn’t ready for was for so much else to be a lie. Harry clearly wasn’t a Museum Curator. He clearly didn’t visit the museums he talked about and clearly liked music a lot more than he had said. He sits and watches and wonders if this person is even nearly the same as all. 

He stares blank faced as Harry continuously checks back on him. He keeps his eyes on Louis between Louis and the crowd, often standing directly in front of the man. 

Its too overwhelming. Louis pulls his jumper down to cover as much as himself as possible and tries to take breaths of a decent depth. 

Harry must notice because a few songs in, Harry jogs from the back of the stage, directly to Louis as there was a guitar solo going on. Crouching down, Harry holds a water bottle out to Louis, ignoring all the hands reaching form him and clawing at his arms. 

“I’m sorry” He hears Harry yell over the screams and it’s a whole other level to actually hear his voice in person. Its definitely him. Louis eventually takes the bottle, making sure not to let his fingers brush Harry's at all, ignoring the confused looks of everyone else around him. 

Tucked into the packaging on the water bottle was a hand written note. 

‘Are you okay? I can get someone to take you to my dressing room if you want, just let me know. I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you but I got nervous and this way I couldn’t not come. Please stay behind afterwards, I want to explain everything to you’ the note had scrawled over it.

Louis feels Harry’s eyes over him as he reads the note, trying his best to keep it hidden from the prying eyes around him.

Harry only seems to finally relax when Louis gives him a little nod, agreeing to wait just one last time.

\--

Louis stays in his seat after the confetti has finished falling and the lights are on and everyone’s gone. Harry must have said something because the security all ignore him as the usher the others out, telling them to go home for the night. 

It was 20 minutes later when Harry finally emerges again into the empty arena. 

Louis hears the steps coming towards him first from the stage. Next the edge on brown boots come into his vision on the stage before he jumps down and takes the seat next to Louis, who doesn’t dare move his gaze the whole time. He’s not sure whether he should be in awe of the fact Harry Styles has been speaking to him for almost 2 years, or angry that Harry Styles had lied to him for two years. 

“I’m sorry I took so long” Harry says after a few moments of silence and Louis doesn’t actually know exactly what hes refereeing to. Sorry he had to wait right now, sorry he had taken so long to meet up or sorry he had taken so long to finally tell the truth. 

Louis’ doesn’t know what to say, instead just silently turning his head to look up at Harry. Not half an hour ago, this man had been parading around the stage, singing and dancing with all the confidence anyone could hope for. Now, he sat, nervous fingers toying with his rings, waiting for Louis to say something.

“Why?” Louis whispers eventually. A million thought were running through his head but that was the basis of all of them.

“I didn’t want you to know” Harry admits in a mumble. 

Originally, he had left a seat between the two of them, but now he scoots closer. His knee brushes against Louis’ and he almost pulls it away.

“Its like, to everyone in my life, I’m this like larger that life figure and I didn’t want it to be like that with you” Harry says quietly, eyes tracking over Louis’ face, taking in his features for first time in real life. Harry had seen photos but, of course, it didn’t compare. 

“For what it’s worth, I’m really glad you decided to come. And even though its like… I know this is shit. But I’m glad we finally got to meet” He says quietly, cautiously reaching over and taking Louis’ hand in his that had been sitting on his lap. 

To actually touch Harry was surreal. He couldn’t do anything but just stare at their hands for a moment, thinking of all the times he had imagined this. Of course, when he had imagined it, his hand wasn’t so tense and Harry’s wasn’t all clammy but given the situation, it was pretty close to perfect. 

“I wouldn’t have treated you differently” Louis whispers, his voice suddenly unable to go any louder. 

“Lou, you stared at me like I was an alien with two heads for the past hour and a half” he says, attempted a joke even though neither of them laugh. “And that’s fine. I get it. I know my life is crazy and I… I know you won’t want to be a part of it now that you know and I just wanted to hold on to you for as long as I could really” Harry admits. "I'm sorry" he says again. 

While seeing Harry was new to Louis , he knew his voice better than he had ever known anyones, from all their hours long conversations as he lay in bed. He knew how Harry sounded when he was happy. He knew how he sounded when he was exhausted but refused to admit it so they could talk longer. He knew how Harry sounded when he was upset, like right now. And that broke Louis' heart. Despite the lies and the betrayal, Louis had fallen in love with the voice on his phone and he knew he would never forgive himself if he didn't at least try to get to know the person behind it. 

“It doesn’t seem like that bad of a life” Louis says, furrowed eyebrows as he lets himself stare at Harry and take in his features. Louis had seen pictures online of Harry. He had always thought he was one of the most attractive men on the planet. Louis had no idea why he was interested in him. 

Harry looks up and gives him a little smile and a shrug, not replying otherwise. 

“What are you doing after this?” Harry asks, after a few moments of just looking at each other. 

“You said that we could go out to dinner or something” Louis says quietly. " I mean, we don't have to. If you were just saying that or whatever then obviously we don't..." Louis starts to say, but is cut of by Harry. 

"I've meant everything I have ever said to you" Harry assures, continuing when Louis gives him a skeptical look despite himself. "I mean it. I know I've lied to you. A lot. And I know that its hard to believe and I know its going to take a long time for you to trust me but the things I said, other than my job really, everything else was true. All the... the things I told you I feel for you, thats true" Harry assures. 

Louis tries his best to ignore the blush on his cheeks as he tries to rationally think about it. His mind is gooey from having Harry Styles sitting next to him and holding his hand and Louis realizes in the moment this is exactly why Harry had lied. Right now, the man Louis had spent nearly 2 years dreaming about was sitting next to him, telling him everything he wanted to hear and in that moment, Louis knew he couldn't walk away.


	2. 2

The pair sit in Harry’s hotel room, facing each other at the kitchen table. Harry had said apologetically he wasn’t really able to go to dinner, that the security had told him it was too risky. Instead, they had snuck through the back entrance into the Hotel Harry was staying at, and ordered room service. 

Louis felt awkward. Harry had always felt like home but right now, Harry felt like uncertainty and he felt like anxiety. He was sure Harry knew he was feeling like that too, judging by how careful he was being. The way he had given Louis his hoodie to hide under as they walked through the lobby with a gentle hand to the boys back. The way he had quickly shut the blinds and the way he assured Louis there wasn’t any pressure to stay and that he would make sure he got a ride home as soon as he wanted it. 

It was Harry on the phone but a million times more uncertain. 

Now they sat over the table from one another, Louis swirling pasta around a fork and Harry sipping down what was quickly turning into a whole bottle of wine. 

“Not hungry?” Harry’s gentle voice breaks through eventually, making Louis head snap up as he’s broken out of his thoughts. Sometimes Louis got trapped in his own head. Harry knew that. Harry also knows Louis sometimes doesn’t eat when he gets stressed. Harry knew everything. 

“Oh… sorry, I was just…” Louis trails off, not having any intention to continue talking as he puts entirely too much pasta in his mouth at once. 

Harry watches silently for a few seconds before the edges of his lips lift up in a smile. 

“You’re going to choke” He says with a smirk, watching as Louis tries to chew. His smile only grows bigger as Louis makes a stubborn “nah ah” noise and continues to chew, eventually going to get Louis a glass of water, much to his embarrassment. 

“Shut up” Louis mumbles with a little smile and a blush when he’s finally able to talk again. 

“That was adorable” Harry says, smiling at him over the table, only making the boy blush even more. 

“Do you normally blush this much when we talk?” He teases with a smirk, trying to break the ice a bit. Harry’s laugh fills the room once Louis’ cheeks heat up even more. 

“Don’t talk about it, you’ll make it even worse” Louis whines playfully, sinking down in his chair and pulling his hood up to cover his face. He feels how his legs thread with Harry’s under the table and he would have pulled away had it not been for Harry moving them even closer. 

“Its adorable. You’re adorable” Harry says fondly with a big smile that’s making Louis’ heart beat irregularly. 

“No, I’m not, I’m manly” Louis says back with an equally as big smile. It feels nice to joke with Harry like they do on the phone. It might even be better. 

“You’re manly and adorable” Harry says, standing up from his chair now and walking around to Louis, offering him his hand. 

“Come sit on the sofa with me” He instructs, walking into the other room once he has Louis’ hand in his much larger one. 

Louis can hardly believe the hotel room Harry is staying in. He’s only ever seen things like this in movies or online and he honestly didn’t think he would ever get to see one in real life. He certainty never imagined he would be sitting in one, on the sofa that probably cost as much as his car, facing Harry Styles. 

“Ask me what you’re thinking” Harry says, leaning one of his arms on the back of the sofa and linking his fingers, showing of the size of his hands. He’s got one leg tucked up, completely facing Louis. 

Louis’ eyebrows scrunch together a bit in a confused way. 

“I know you, I know you’re thinking of a million things right now. And I get that. So ask me whatever you want” Harry says when he sees Louis’ confusion.   
“And you’ll be truthful?” Louis says, not completely meaning for the tone of the question. 

He notes how Harry’s fingers start to toy with his rings again, showing he too heard the tone. 

“Promise. Only the truth” Harry nods, almost looking ashamed of the fact they even needed to clarify. 

Louis sighs softly, taking a moment to try to organise the chaos in his head into questions that would make sense and actually give him some clarity. 

“Did you go to the museum you always tell me about?” He says, almost cringing at his own question. After years of lies and half-truths, Louis comes up with a question about museums. 

Harry hums softly, nodding his head. “I did. I do” He confirms, brushing his hair back. “I love going to museums while I travel. I kind of like… It’s a bit lame. I go and just wonder around. I guess I kind of see them as like displays of creativity and it kind of rubs off on me. Almost all my songs are written in museums” Harry admits, his voice slow as he chooses his words. 

Oh, Louis thinks. So maybe it wasn’t as much of a lie as he first thought. 

“What happened the other times we were meant to meet up?” He asks, the next question falling from his lips before he can really frame it. He didn’t want to sound desperate but the more the spoke, the more comfortable Louis was getting. He was starting to see that Harry on the phone and Harry in person were actually the same person. 

Harry sighs softly, mumbling a little ‘can I?’ before linking his fingers with Louis. 

“I just got nervous” He admits, playing now with Harry’s fingers instead of his own. “Because I didn’t want to ruin things. That time I we were meeting at that café, I was outside. And I saw you there. And you had those flowers. You remember?” Harry asks. Of course, Louis remembered. He had cried for 3 days straight when Harry hadn’t shown up. 

“I just couldn’t go inside. Like I couldn’t make my feet move. And then this girl recognised me and then there was a crowd and I just left. I thought you weren’t ever going to talk to me after that” He says quietly. 

“I almost didn’t” Louis mumbles, thinking about the whole week he had ignored Harry’s text and calls and even parcels Harry had sent to his dorm. 

“I’m really glad you did though. And I’m really sorry for hurting you like that” He whispers. Louis had heard him apologise for it many times before but with Harry actually here, holding his hand, he feels like he can finally accept it. 

“Its okay” he says softly, giving Harry a little smile. 

“Do people in your life know about me?” Louis asks, watching as Harry slips the ‘S’ shaped ring off of his own pinky and try it on several of Louis’ much smaller fingers before settling it under his middle knuckle. 

“Yes. They know. They get annoyed at me for how much I talk about you” Harry admits with a chuckle. 

“You know before the show when I wasn’t texting you back? I’m really sorry about that by the way. It’s because the crew were all busy wishing me good luck with everything with you because they knew you were there. And the stage manager had been peaking out and told me you were there and all. And then when we were playing, Mitch, he’s the guitar guy, kept telling me to stop staring at you all the time. And my security guard stood right by you. They all know” Harry explains and Louis is suddenly blushing again. 

“And um… my sister knows too.” He adds, now the blush on Harry’s cheeks. 

“Is her name really Gemma?” Louis asks and Harrys hums softly in confirmation. 

“She knows that I was lying to you too and that we were meeting up tonight. She said if I didn’t go through with it tonight, she was going to contact you herself” Harry admits with a little laugh, making Louis smile softly. 

People in Harry’s life knew about him. He felt like the luckiest man alive. He was also a bit confused about why Harry would be so proud to tell people about Louis.   
Louis knew, from gossip online, that Harry normally dates super models. Theres nothing super about Louis at all. 

“Well I’m glad you told me instead of her” He says and Harry laughs, looking up from Louis hands and giving him a little smile. 

“Can I ask you a question?” He says, eyes darting over Louis face. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asks, waiting for a little nod to come from Louis before closing the gap between them. 

_____  
Louis phone ringing eventually wakes him up, blinking in the dark and thoroughly confused about where he is and whose next to him before it all comes crashing back at once. Harry. It hadn’t been a dream. 

Any doubt left in his mind was wiped when he hears a deep grumble from next to him as Harry reaches for Louis’ phone on the coffee table. The two had fallen asleep on the sofa, Harry’s arms wrapped around Louis leaving the boy between Harry and the back of the couch. He felt so small and safe. 

“Hello?” he says, his voice laced with confusion and sleep. 

“Where the fuck are you? I’ve been texting you for hours. I thought he’d fucking murdered you or something Louis, you idiot” Louis hears yelled down the phone.   
Liam. 

“Is that Liam?” He hears Harry grumble, obviously placing the boys voice from the amount of times he’s heard him in the background of phone calls. Liam had even got Harry’s number of Louis’ phone and called him once telling him to stop fucking Louis around. 

“Is that Harry?” Liam shoots back before he even gets the chance to answer. This is not how he pictured them meeting. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t call. I’ve just been… Things have been crazy. You wouldn’t believe what happened” Louis mumbles softly, sitting up slowly.

He hears a scoff from Liam and feels his heart stop all at once when the boy says “I think I would believe you. You and Harry Styles are all over the fucking internet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a boring chapter sorry, but necessary and wanted to get something out. Next one will be better, promise!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long, and so sorry the last chapter was bad, whoops!
> 
> Bit of a mental health trigger warning for both Harry and Louis in this chapter

The last thing that Harry ever wanted to do was to make Louis uncomfortable. He knew they other boy like the back of his hand. Maybe not in the physical way, but in an emotional way. He seemed to always know what the boy was thinking. He knew the cues from their calls; knew Louis’ stutter and the pauses between words and the way his breathe would get almost unnoticeably faster when his anxiety started to bubble. Because of this, he knew that after Liam’s phone call, he had to let Louis leave. 

As Harry sits in his excessively large hotel room all on his own, he can’t help but think this is exactly why he shouldn’t have told Louis. Never mind him being alone again. Never mind him sitting on the sofa finishing a second bottle of wine in tears. He had exposed Louis to this life that he /knew/ the boy was never going to be able to handle. He had been so selfish, same as he always was, only this time it was Louis paying the price. 

Harry knew this was going to happen. He knew that no matter how careful he would be, how much he would try to stop it, eventually someone would take a photo and the world would know. Looking back on it, Harry knew he could have been more careful. He could have not given Louis the water that he knew he needed. He could have taken separate cars back to the hotel. They could have gone to Louis’ instead. He could have just not been so selfish and never even agreed to meet in the first place. Maybe even stopped it when he realised he had the wrong number nearly 2 years back. 

Like always, Harry thinks, he had been selfish. When he spoke to Louis on the phone first time, he knew he was a goner. As soon as he heard his accent and his giggle, Harry knew he was going to break him. The same way this lifestyle broke everything close to him. Broke him too. All he was ever doing by pretending to be someone else was delaying the inevitable. 

He could see it on Louis face when he left. The photos online weren’t all that bad. They showed Harry looking at Louis at the concert, them leaving together with Harry’s protective hand on Louis’ back. 

Harry was used to it. This sort of thing happened to him anytime he left the house. He couldn’t catch up with a friend without tabloids publishing all about their supposed love affair and Harry’s slutish ways. Louis’ probably going to believe that too. Great. 

When Louis had walked out, Harry made himself stay at the door. His mother had taught him to be a gentleman and always walk people out, but Harry knew how the media misconstrued these things. And the last thing they needed was more photos. 

So, standing at his hotel room door, Harry had given Louis a hug, pretending he wasn’t worried about the way the boy was breathing faster than usual and how his eyes kept darting around him. Placing a gentle kiss on the boys cheek and what he knew would be a meaningless comment about how the media would move on by tomorrow, Harry let Louis go. 

-

Louis had spent the last hour since he had woken up scrolling through twitter, looking at the photos being posted of him and Harry. He had felt so confident about the man last night. Even after all the lies, sitting on the sofa with Harry felt right. Kissing Harry and cuddling him on the sofa felt so right. 

Why did people online think it was so wrong? People were commenting about how Harry looked like he would rather be anywhere else than with the man. Commented on how Louis looked silly in his hoodie and jeans. Some people even commented about how it was bold of Harry to so openly take a prostitute home. 

Louis had felt, for only a moment, that maybe Harry really was interested in him. The comments of these photos have quickly reminded him otherwise.

“Don’t tell me you’re looking at that bullshit” he hears as their door closes and Liam walks back into their shared dorm room. He has a towel hanging low on his hips from the shower as Louis sighs and rolls over to give him some privacy as he changes. 

“Can’t be that bullshit. He hasn’t even text me or anything today. They’re right too. He looks angry to be with me in the photos” Louis mumbles. 

Louis and Liam are different in almost every sense of the word. Louis was a geology major. He studied, went on his field trips and read. Liam was a business major, who partied harder than anyone Louis had ever met, and was rapidly sleeping with nearly every single female in their dorm. Louis had never seen anything like it.   
When they had been assigned as roommates, Louis almost asked to change. Louis quickly learned though that as well as being the biggest partier the boy had ever met, he was also one of the nicest and most supportive people he had ever known. Liam knew everything about Louis and vice versa and when they got to pick at the start of the semester, they had both asked to be roommates again. 

“Let me see these fucking photos then; they can’t be that bad” Liam says, plopping down on the edge of Louis bed once he has some boxers on and taking his phone.   
Liam is silent for a few second before looking down at Louis in an expression he can only describe as bewildered. 

“You’re an idiot. He’s clearly pissed off at the people around you, not you. Look; he’s got his arm around you and glaring at this lot taking photos.” He says  
“Just because you did that one paper…” Louis starts, getting him hit in the head with a pillow before he can finish. 

“I know, I know. ‘Just because you did that one paper in non-verbal communication, doesn’t make you an expert Liam’” the larger boy mimics the line Louis always says to him in times like this. 

“I don’t need to be an expert to know that look. It’s the same one I give people at parties all the time when they start talking about me going off with some girl” Liam continues. “You can’t let this shit change what you guys had last night. You said it yourself, you got along really well. You were there, these people weren’t.” He shrugs. Liam sometimes didn’t understand Louis’ anxiety, but he did try his best. 

“Why hasn’t he called me then?” Louis says with a pout, looking at his phone to check. Still no message from Harry. 

“Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move. You’re the one that left, right? That means its your move” He says with a shrug, getting up to finish getting dressed. 

-

Louis lies in his bed, head tucked under the covers as he listens to his phone dialling Harry. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. He’s called Harry hundreds of times before. After last night, it all seems different now. There’s no more disguises, no more lies. Its just him and Harry. 

“Lou?” He hears come through the speakers and he can’t help but notice the hopeful tone in Harry’s voice. 

“Hey” He says with a little smile, his grin only getting bigger as he hears Harry ask ‘can I facetime you?’

Within a moment, Harry’s face lights up the screen and Louis can’t help his smile.

“I thought your phone camera was broken” Louis teases with a little smile, his anxiety starting to lessen as he speaks to Harry, especially when his laugh fills Louis’ ears. 

“I got it fixed” Harry jokes, giving Louis a cheeky wink in the camera. 

“What are you doing?” He asks, able to see behind Harry he’s walking through some kind of corridors. 

“I’m back at the arena again. I’ve got shows for the next two nights here. We’re just doing sound check.” He says, only hesitating for a second before asking “Do you want to come hang out?” 

Before Louis can answer he hears Liam calling “yes he does” making Louis quickly throw a pillow at the man and Harry laugh. 

“Um, I don’t know” Louis admits once he sees Harry finally sit down on a sofa. 

“Those photos are bugging you, aren’t they, love?” Harry asks, his voice more serious now, frowning deeper when he sees Louis nod. 

“That’s uh… That’s why I haven’t called you or anything today. I wanted to give you time to think and all that. Like… this exact situation is why I didn’t tell you who I am. I was trying to avoid exactly this and I know the fact it happen straight away is like super off putting and I know we talked about last night how we could keep it downlow but the thing is, I can’t promise that obviously. And like… I didn't want to call and put pressure on you. If you’ve changed your mind then I totally unde…”

“I haven’t” Louis says quickly, his eyes darting over Harry’s face as he talks. 

Harry finally stopped rambling, looking up at Louis. Louis can’t help but feel like Harry thinks he’s going to leave at any moment.

He sees Liam give him a little wave as he leaves the room to give them some privacy and Louis sighs softly, rolling on his belly. 

“I just… I can’t ever give you normal, Lou. The way I live makes it like… fucking hard to love me, I’ll be honest. Like… I don’t even know normal” Harry says quietly, no smile left on his face. Louis’ heart breaks a bit. 

“I can give you normal. I can show you” Louis says quietly, giving the man a little reassuring smile. He wants to prove to Harry he’s not as impossible to love as he thinks. 

-

It was bang on seven when Louis walks into Harry’s hotel room. Last night, Harry’s security guard had given him a ride home, and his number, instructing him to call if the media continued to hassle him. When Louis has nervously text him earlier in the day his plan, he had been more than happy to help out. 

After the conversation earlier, Louis was determined to show Harry he wasn’t hard to love. Falling for him over the phone had been the easiest thing in the world. Even when he knew Harry was lying and hiding things, it had happened in spite of himself. No matter how much he knew it was stupid, he couldn’t stop. Now that the lie and the hiding had been replaced by media and fans, Louis was determined to show the man he wasn’t hard to love. 

Harry’s security guard, Grant, had told him Harry would be back at the hotel around 10.30. Louis knew that gave him about 3 hours to get everything ready. Over the past two years, Louis had accumulated himself a bank of useless Harry knowledge. He knew the boy liked to turn the water cold for the last minute of his shower. He knew Harry always wore socks to bed but never woke up with them on. And he knew that Harry’s favourite meal was roast chicken with chocolate self-saucing dessert.   
On the way to Harry’s, Louis had stopped and purchased all the ingredients he needed. He didn’t have much money, but he was okay with spending it on this. He spent the next few hours cleaning up a bit, before cooking Harry the best homecooked meal he could manage. The boy had mentioned last night one of the things he missed the most whole on tour was a home cooked meal. Louis wanted to bring that bit of normal back to him, if only for one night. 

Louis had received the text they were on the way back and quickly got everything ready. When he heard the calls of “good night” in the hall, he could barely contain himself. He stood by the table, nervously saying on his heels, giving Harry a big sheepish smile as soon as their eyes met. 

“Hello” Harry says, a smile spreading over his face in an instant, eradicating all signs of stress and fatigue that had been there a moment ago. 

“Hi” Louis replies, his smile matching Harrys. 

“What are you… I thought you had to study” He says, his face in a state of happy confusion as he takes a few steps to close the gap between the two of them.   
“I lied” Louis admits, smiling at the way Harry raises his eyebrow. 

“I thought you made a rule about no more lies” He says. He places a cautious hand on Louis’ hip, only becoming more confident to continue once Louis moves into his touch. 

“I wanted to make you dinner” Louis says shyly, becoming a bit nervous now. What if Harry thought this whole thing was stupid? Harry could eat anywhere in the whole world he wanted, why would he want Louis’ average food. 

He watches as Harry’s eyes dart to the table for the first time, before back to his, a fond look spreading over his face. 

“Lou, you didn’t need to. Babe, this is…” Harry trails of, lost for words as he moves to the table, holding Louis’ hand. 

“Normal?” Louis supplies with a little smile, earning him a nod. 

“Normal” Harry agrees.


End file.
